Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-08-24
HAMMERING 1T IN.

Depressed by severe cold, for
which was indebted to the variable
nature Of the weather in the last days
of November, sat yesterday morning
in Respondent way beside my coffee
and dry toast, roasted the soles Of
my slippers and read away my diges-
ton over the last murder recounted
In the Times. Suddenly was startled
by the step Of man rushing hurried.
Iy upstairs. The door of my sitting
room was burst open, and my friend
Boulder, fourishing in his hand a
heavy hammer, stood before me and
gasped out: ''I've done it at last,
Smith! I've done it last!' Boulder is a
most excitable man, with wife and a
large family OF boys. looked aghast
for marks OF blood upon the hammer,
for trace OF human halr in some
crack OF the handle.
(Which? Who? How many?" ]
shouted.
"My son, Jack" he declared, sis the
cause OF it all. He brought it upon
me. o, Smith, my dear friend, would
you believed could ever have come
to this? Cut me some ham,
He sat down opposite me in an
easy-cnair. turned up his soles also to
the fire, helped himself to thick slice
of bread, and said again:
'SCut ne some ham. | must be Off
to the hills in ten minutes; and it's
well 20 fortify myself, because may
miss my dinner today"
Sir! Mr.. Boulder"
t'Lat me ring sor q cup and saucer.
There, now 60 on with your breakfast
and I'll tell you all about it. I was
led to it entirely by that hard-headed
fellow, David Pager"
"Page?"
David Page, F. G. S. Hank you!
Three weeks ago Mrs. Boulder came
TO me and said, 'Peterp I replied,
tSusannahn She said, Look st Jack 8
clean shirt She showed me a shirt
folded neatly, with its front covered
with red stains and holes and linden
tations. Mercy [ cried, what's the
cause OF this?' Jack was at school,
round the corner, you know-Tickle-
by's day school. Il wish to showyou,
Mr. B. said my old girl, Jacks linen
drawer Followed my wife. Looked
IN the drawer. Found it filled up with
stones and dirt. In the drawer below
that, found clay, sand and old shells
In his Sunday jacket. Caused the
dirt instantly to be carried to the
dusthole. Further examined drawers
In Jack' room, and in the corner OF
one found a book entitled, Advanced
Textbook Of Geology, Descriptive
and Industrial by David Page, f. G. s..
$ That's what has done it, Peter,
Mrs. B. said. That's the book I've
seen ninn reading evening after even
ing He shall read no more of it,
said l. THE book is confscated.
When Jack came home at dinner time
We had q great disturbance"
Here Boulder gasped over his ham,
and felt painfully nervous. Boulder
went on: Jack said [, you shall
never more look on that book | put
1t On nay own library table; / peeped
into It; looked into it; read bits Of
lt; read more Of it: liked it; | stud
led It; threw myself heart and soul
into it; comprehended it; bought a.
hammer"
Here Boulder caught his hammer up
and dourished it again. He was evil
IDENTIFY stone-mad.
'With this hammer, my boy, break
my way into the treasury of nature"
Here Boulder brought his hammer
down and smashed my teacup.
Gan, good!" he cried, taking rag
a8nt up. GA lucky accident! Look
az the crystalline fracture. What's
here? Clay. What makes the clay
crystalline in its fracture? Fire.
Theory of the igueous rocks. Thick
mesa of the ponderable crust of the
globe, 500 miles. Depth at which
most Of the rocks ordinarily found at
the surface would exist in q molten
state, say five and twenty miles. I'm
dercrust OF the globe, granite. Here's
8 Dir.
Ny excitable friend took from the
mantelpiece handsome paper weight
OF polished stone.
''Some ass Of man has polished
this fine specimen of primitive rock"
WITH one tap Of his hammer. Boulder
broke it in two. Observe" said he
."taa exquisite fracture"
Exquisite! Confound-"
s'Never polish g fine specimen. The
geologist, my dear boy, is most par
tlcular to show you q clean fracture
and nothing else. He breaks stone,
ard takes pains not so much as to
dim with a finger s touch the brilIiance
OF the broken surface. Now fractures
are OF various sorts, concLoidal or
snell.like, even. uneven, smooth,
spLintery, hackley. Only look in this |